[Community-service] Discussion Starter

[Darian Smith, President, National Federation of the Blind Community Service Division]

Good Morning,
 a few days ago we discussed the definition of community service in general and specifically it’s definition as it relates to our Community Service Division. 
  As it stands today, the purpose of the division is to encourage blind people to serve in their community, either by themselves, with their family, friends, chapter members, neighbors, etc. 
 If people don’t know where to start, the division helps them find out where they can. If people are hesitant to start, the division encourages them.  If a person faces difficulty serving in their community, the division does what it  can to help the person through it. 
 We are a division of the National Federation of the Blind, which means we support the programs and policies of the NFB,  and consequently everything we do is based upon the foundational positive philosophy of blindness that all of us in the NFB believe in.  Another words we believe that as blindness is not the characteristic that defines us or our future, that blindness does not define or limit us in the way we can use our talents and passions to give to the world we were born into and live in. We have long held the belief  that the  real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight, but that the real problem of blindness is people’s attitudes and misconceptions about blindness and blind people. We believe that blind people are as normal as anyone else, having the same interests, likes, dislikes, hobbies, desires and fears as anyone else.   Our division believes that  serving in our communities is just the most logical  step down the path to true  independence and equality in society, making this not just a nice thing to do,  but as essential to everything we do.
 We believe that just as it is important  for us to be out in the public to protest discriminative practices, or out in force in the halls  of our legislature to let people know what we want and need, that it is just as important to be out in our community, showing just what we can do and be.
 
 While service has the benefit of helping others first and foremost, it also allows us  the opportunity to teach and learn at the same time. When we serve our community, we learn about issues we didn’t know existed or of stories people share that might cause  us to view the world differently.  There an also be tangible benefits.  Through national service programs such as AmeriCorps or teach for america, we  gain professional level skills that make us more attractive to employers, life long connections and friendships  and assistance to help us through school.  As a division we can bring these opportunities with programs and organizations closer to our reach by letting them know about our mission and those who share in the call to service.
 So  at the end of the day, we want to not only encourage service , but to expand opportunities for blind people (individually and collectively) to serve   wherever the need to serve may be and where their desires and interests lead them regardless of what society tells us they can or can’t do.
 

 Do you agree with this explanation? disagree?
 what else comes to mind?
 Darian